Moving from Policy to Practice: A Report of School Nutrition Policy Adherence in Nova Scotia
Publication: Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
16 July 2018
Abstract
Purpose: School food and nutrition policies have the potential to encourage healthier eating among children and youth to address rising concerns of poor diet quality. Despite their widespread implementation, there is little reported monitoring of policy adherence. This short report describes adherence to the provincial school food and nutrition policy in Nova Scotia (NS) that was implemented in 2006.
Methods: An online survey was distributed to NS public schools in 2014–2015 to assess adherence to the directives and guidelines of the policy. Descriptive information was obtained for schools and indicators for policy adherence were explored.
Results: A total of 242 schools completed the survey (73% response rate) and policy adherence was variable across the different components. Few schools adhered to the policy standard related to the sale of unhealthy foods and there was inconsistency in school adherence reported for other policy indicators.
Conclusions: This research suggests that further action is need to ensure “minimum nutrition” food and beverages are not available in schools and that healthy eating is reinforced through prioritizing key policy actions like pricing strategies, discontinuing fundraising with unhealthy food, and ensuring food programs are available in a nonstigmatizing manner.
Résumé
Objectif. Les politiques alimentaires et nutritionnelles dans les écoles ont le potentiel de favoriser une alimentation plus saine chez les enfants et les jeunes et ainsi de répondre aux inquiétudes grandissantes à propos de la mauvaise qualité des régimes alimentaires. Malgré l’implantation à grande échelle de ces politiques, peu de rapports permettent d’indiquer si elles sont dans les faits respectées. Ce court rapport présente des données sur l’adhésion à la politique provinciale de la Nouvelle-Écosse en matière d’alimentation et de nutrition dans les écoles adoptée en 2006.
Méthodes. L’adhésion aux directives et aux recommandations de la politique a été évaluée à l’aide d’un sondage en ligne distribué aux écoles publiques de la Nouvelle-Écosse durant l’année scolaire 2014–2015. Le sondage a permis d’obtenir des informations descriptives sur les écoles et des indicateurs sur l’adhésion à la politique alimentaire.
Résultats. Complété par 242 écoles (taux de réponse de 73 %), le sondage a montré que le niveau d’adhésion à la politique variait selon les éléments considérés. Peu d’écoles adhéraient à la norme de la politique en lien avec la vente d’aliments malsains. De plus, d’autres indicateurs suggèrent que l’adhésion des écoles à la politique est irrégulière.
Conclusions. Cette étude indique que d’autres mesures devront être prises pour veiller à ce que les aliments et boissons à valeur nutritive minimale ne soient plus offerts dans les écoles et à ce que la saine alimentation soit encouragée en priorisant des mesures politiques clés telles que des stratégies de prix, l’arrêt des campagnes de financement basées sur des aliments malsains et la mise en place de programmes d’alimentation offerts de manière non stigmatisante.
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Financial support: This work was funded by the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness, the Max Bell Foundation and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) [FRN: 335426]. JLM acknowledges funding from the Canadian Cancer Society (Grant # 703878), awarded to Dalhousie University, over the time the study was conducted. SFLK held a CIHR Canada Research Chair at the time this study was undertaken.
Conflict of interest: All of the authors declare they have no competing interests.
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Published In
Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
Volume 79 • Number 4 • December 2018
Pages: 196 - 199
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Version of record online: 16 July 2018
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© 2018.
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Jessie-Lee D.McIsaacPhD, Julia C.H.KontakMA, and Sara F.L.KirkPhD. 2018. Moving from Policy to Practice: A Report of School Nutrition Policy Adherence in Nova Scotia. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research.
79(4): 196-199. https://doi.org/10.3148/cjdpr-2018-017
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